The Tunisian shoreline is below siege from human exercise and international warming. In Hammamet, one in every of Tunisia’s high vacationer locations, coastal erosion has been accelerating on account of uncontrolled urbanization and local weather change, inflicting the seaside to fade.
The Coastal Safety and Improvement Company (APAL), a public physique, undertook an enormous operation to replenish town middle’s seaside earlier than the summer time. 15,000 m3 of sand, transported by 750 vehicles from quarries within the semi-desert area of Kairouan, greater than 100 km away, have been dumped on the seaside to revive it.
Tourism is important to Tunisia’s economic system, offering many roles, particularly for younger individuals, in a rustic with excessive unemployment charges. The authorities intention to draw 10 million guests by 2024. Chiheb Ben Fredj, secretary common of the Affiliation for Environmental Schooling (AERE), careworn the importance of the seaside to Hammamet.
Sand Could Vanish in a Few Days
Previously decade, the relentless power of coastal erosion has devoured 24,000 sq. meters of seaside in Hammamet, Tunisia. Between 2006 and 2019, 3 to eight meters of seaside vanished annually. A 2020 World Financial institution report sounded the alarm, describing the erosion fee as ‘spectacular’ and reaching a brand new stage of ‘destruction’ within the final two years. Your complete Tunisian shoreline is in peril, with a median annual lack of 1.5 meters, ensuing within the disappearance of 90 kilometers of seaside and placing an extra 190 kilometers in peril out of the overall 570 kilometers of sandy shoreline.
Whereas re-sanding seashores might supply a short lived respite, it’s not a sustainable resolution in the long run. Alternate options like establishing dikes or different constructions to retain sand are being explored. In line with the AERE, putting in palisades over a number of kilometers has confirmed efficient in rebuilding and stabilizing dunes on many seashores in Tunisia. With out such measures, the sand may be shortly eroded by the ocean or throughout storms, as was demonstrated throughout a sand replenishment operation in Hammamet in the summertime of 2023. Pursuing these sustainable options gives hope within the battle in opposition to coastal erosion.
Nevertheless, these interventions include a major price. It has been reported that the re-sanding of three seashores in Hammamet, Monastir, and Sfax this 12 months amounted to three.9 million dinars, roughly a million euros, based on APAL.
Provisional Answer
The central seaside in Hammamet is taken into account town’s satisfaction. Narjess Bouasker, from the Regional Lodge Federation, emphasizes preserving the seaside’s magnificence. Nevertheless, she acknowledges that the present efforts to replenish the sand are solely a short lived resolution. She believes that balancing preserving the panorama with successfully combating coastal erosion is essential in the long run.
Each AERE and APAL level to human exercise, significantly uncontrolled urbanization, because the main trigger of abrasion. International warming exacerbates the scenario, resulting in extra frequent and extreme storms and a fast rise in sea ranges, significantly within the Mediterranean. The development actions on the seaside in Hammamet have contributed to the disappearance of protecting dunes, which beforehand helped naturally replenish the sand.
APAL additionally criticizes coastal growth for disrespecting ecosystems. This consists of masking the beds of rivers that carry 85% of the sediments to the coast, which is important in lowering erosion. An nameless APAL official highlights that development initiatives want to contemplate coastal dynamics. AERE notes that city seashores, like these in Hammamet, Monastir, and Sousse, are probably the most affected by erosion.
